Families in radon hotspot warned of danger from gas
The shock findings have emerged from a survey undertaken by the RPII which has indicated that many households in the Clonmel area are being exposed to high levels of radioactivity which are comparable to those experienced by workers at the Sellafield nuclear plant.
Up to 19% of schools in the region have also been found to have radon levels above the recommended guideline and remedial measures have already begun to be put in place at the schools involved.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which comes from the uranium present in all rocks and soils.
It is colourless, odourless, and tasteless and can only be detected with specialised detectors.
It is classified by the World Health Organisation in the same group as other cancer-causing substances such as tobacco and asbestos and after smoking is classed as the greatest cause of lung cancer.
As a result of the findings an awareness campaign has been initiated in Clonmel and meetings are planned with local interested groups to discuss the situation.
Last weekend also information stands were placed in the major supermarkets in the town to facilitate concerned members of the public wanting to know more about the situation.
A spokesman for the RPII, David Fenton, has told South Tipperary County Council that many of the two hundred lung cancer deaths which are believed to occur in Ireland each year might well be in the Tipperary area. And he said that all business owners in locations classed as "high radon areas" are legally obliged to have their premises tested.
Testing equipment for a household costs just 50, but remedial action in the event of high radon levels being detected can cost between 1,500 and 2,000. All buildings constructed since 1997 must contain radon preventative measures such as radon sumps (which help discharge the gas safely) and barriers.
The council's executive scientific officer, Ruth Hennessy, said that the RPII survey findings are something the council cannot afford to ignore. Of the 298 households measured for radon levels in Clonmel, 47 were found to exceed the accepted safety level, while four of the houses exceeded the recommended level five times over.
The findings have been described by the chairman of South Tipperary County Council Derry Foley as a "wake up call". He also said it is important that people are made away of the dangers posed by radon gas.
His council colleague Phil Prendergast said it is frightening to think that householders are being exposed to high levels of a cancer-causing substance without them even knowing about it.
